Comes to Mind
by mantinemaniac
Summary: Meryl has been wondering all day just what kind of surprise Johnny has waiting for her, but he won't tell. Apparently today is special, but why? A glimpse into their married life, and the interactions that take place. Two chapters, two perspectives.
1. Meryl

*Note* Tempura donburi is a Japanese dish where a bowl of rice is topped with various vegetables and/or shrimp that have been dipped in a batter and deep-fried.

Meryl sighed as she leaned back in her chair, taking a break from the stack of papers in front of her. She still had about 3 reports to look over, but they weren't too urgent. She could finish them tomorrow with plenty of time to spare. Besides, what she really wanted to do right then was to go home and relax. Johnny had been hinting that he was doing something special that night, but he refused to say any more beyond that.

"What's the rush? You'll find out soon enough," he had teased her before heading out the door that morning, leaving Meryl to pretend that she just asked out of mild curiosity, when actually she couldn't wait to find out.

Meryl couldn't resist a smile at the thought of her husband. Johnny was such a sweet, down-to-earth guy, and he always put her first in everything he did. True, he could be a dork and somewhat spastic at times, but those personality quirks were part of what made him so endearing to her. Even after all those times she slapped him around while they were in Rat Patrol 01, he still remained unquestioningly loyal to her, even saving her life at least three times before working up the courage to propose to her. Sometimes Meryl felt a little undeserving of such a doting husband, but she vowed to make that up to him throughout their marriage. Twisting her wedding band, she contemplated calling home to see if Johnny was back yet.

'If he answers, I'll just ask if there's anything he wants me to pick up before I go home,' she thought. Satisfied with her plan, she picked up her cell and dialed home.

"Hey Meryl, you heading home soon?" Johnny greeted her after the third ring. Apparently he had checked the caller ID before answering, but Meryl didn't let his sudden greeting throw her off.

"Yeah, I'm about to. Just checking to see if there's anything we needed before I left," she calmly replied, skillfully concealing her true intentions. Or so she thought.

"Hmm, no, I think we're good at home. I am, however, waiting for one lovely lady to head home before her surprise gets cold." Evidently he had seen right through her excuse. She swore she could _hear_ his grin over the phone.

"Alright. I'll be home soon. Bye"

"I'll be waiting."

Okay, so she had tried. Sometimes she was still amazed at the way Johnny could read her so well. If she had a bad day, or was particularly moody for one reason or another, he seemed to perceive it and act accordingly without her ever saying a word about it, be it making up a steaming mug of tea, or letting her rest her head on his lap while they reviewed papers and reports together on the couch. It was almost like having the SOP communicating with each other, but this was better; this was the real, pure connection they had with each other, something that could never be replaced by nano machines circulating around in their bodies.

Gathering up her things, Meryl grabbed her keys and headed out the door, wondering just what was waiting for her at home.

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Johnny's Mustang was already in the driveway when Meryl pulled up to the house. Getting out of her car and walking up to the door, she did her best to compose herself and appear cool and collected. She was about to slide her key into the lock when Johnny pulled it open and greeted her.

"Welcome home," he smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek. Meryl wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the gesture, this time on his lips.

"So, what's this little surprise you have for me?" she asked, her voice low and sensual, dropping her arms around his hips to pull him closer.

Johnny visibly gulped a little at his wife's sudden aggressiveness, but managed to pull himself together in time to take her bag and lead them back into the house.

"Alright, I guess you've been waiting long enough for this. Now just close your eyes and I promise you'll get to see it really soon."

Smiling, Meryl closed her eyes as she felt Johnny's hands gently take hers and guide her towards to dining room. Along the way, she caught a trace of a wonderfully floral scent. Roses, perhaps? There were also whiffs of something incredibly delicious that reminded Meryl of just what an unexpectedly, but wonderfully good cook her husband was.

"Mm, Johnny, that smells wonderful. Did you make something?" she asked as he gently stopped her in front of what she presumed to be the dining table.

"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Johnny grinned, stepping back as Meryl opened her eyes and let out a small gasp as she saw the table in front of her. It was set for two, with tempura donburi steaming from their bowls and small plates of assorted Japanese pickles and sauce on the side. In the center of the table was a glass vase with a dozen red roses, each at the height of their blooms and giving off a rich, perfumed smell. When she noticed the box of dark chocolate from Recchiuti Confections, her favorite, it finally clicked.

"Oh! You mean, today is-?"

"Happy Valentines Day, Meryl. I guess your father wasn't kidding when he said you never remembered this day, much less celebrate it," Johnny laughed.

"You actually asked my dad about this before planning it all out?" Meryl asked in slight disbelief.

"No, no, it actually just happened to be good timing. We were talking with some of the other retired generals, and the topic of family came up. Some of the guys were talking about where they planned to take their wives out to dinner or what they were getting as a gift, and the Colonel mentioned how you never ever did anything for Valentine's Day, to the point where would completely forget about it. So I thought it'd be fun to surprise you," he finished, smiling broadly at her. "So, what'd you think? Like it?"

"Oh, Johnny, you didn't need to go through all this trouble," Meryl breathed, still taking in the splendor of the table and all of the preparations that must have gone into it. Johnny looked a little taken aback by her comment, so she quickly continued, "I love it. The flowers, the food, everything. And I love you for doing this for me," she finished, and drew him into a passionate kiss. She breathed deep, taking in everything, his scent, the taste of his mouth on hers, how she fit into his arms so naturally, his hands around her waist and her fingers running through his hair. 10 years ago, if someone had told her she'd be married to the cell guard whom she knocked out and stripped back in Shadow Moses, she would have laughed and thought they were kidding. Now, she couldn't imagine her life any other way.

"If you like it, that's all that matters to me," Johnny murmured as they pulled apart. "I swore I'd make you happy, and I intend to keep that promise." He gently traced the outlines of her face as he pulled her close, their foreheads resting against each other and their noses touching. Meryl didn't say anything, but they way her eyes shone told him just how happy she was.

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They were feeding each other their dessert over the table when Meryl suddenly realized that Johnny had been dropping subtle hints since last week.

"So _that's_ why you were spending all that time in the florist shop last Saturday," Meryl exclaimed, remembering how Johnny had kept asking her opinion on this flower and that flower. She was surprised when, in the end, they had walked out without buying a single stalk.

"Yup. I know it was awkward and weird, but I couldn't think of a better way," he confessed.

"I thought you had suddenly decided that our house needed fresh flowers or something, but then you didn't buy any. If your plan was to confuse me, then it definitely worked," she laughed.

Johnny grinned back at her. "Well, no, that wasn't part of the plan, but it worked quite well, don't you think?"

"I have to admit, you definitely got me on this one," she sighed, pretending to be upset at being caught off guard, but her smile gave her true feelings away.

"So this is your first Valentine's Day experience, eh? Was it good enough to convince you to celebrate it again next year?" he teased as he cleared the table and brought the dishes to the sink. Meryl followed behind him, boosting herself up onto the counter to face him.

"Mm, it was definitely a romantic gesture," she answered, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips.

"Hmm, you're definitely welcome. So, you want to know what people do on the night of Valentine's Day?" he asked, smirking slightly. Meryl didn't answer but instead smiled back suggestively and pulled him in.

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To be honest, I'd given up writing fanfiction for a couple of years, until I discovered Metal Gear Solid. (I know, I know, I'm such a latecomer.) I watched my friend play Guns of the Patriots and instantly fell in love with the seemingly mismatched but incredibly awesome and endearing couple of Johnny and Meryl. Seeing as how there's not many such fics around, and the fact that my sister needed a narrative for a school project, I decided to combine two birds with one stone and write this short fic. I tried to keep them as in-character with my own opinions abut them as possible, but my sister did request a fluffy story, so there may be moments where it seems unlikely to happen. For all the readers who wondered like I did how Meryl and Johnny's married life would be like, I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome.


	2. Johnny

This chapter is the same story as the first, only written from Johnny's perspective this time.

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Johnny was humming to himself as he drove home, feeling the wind breezing past the convertible as he got off the highway. He had arranged his schedule so that the conference was the only thing on his schedule today, meaning he had time to go home and prepare the house before his wife got home.

He grinned as he thought of how Meryl had tried to pry his plans from him earlier during the week. He had promised himself he would not spoil it for her, and was proud of himself for keeping it. Johnny chuckled a bit at thought of Meryl being totally oblivious as to just what was so special about February the 14th. According to what Colonel Campbell had said about his daughter, Meryl never remembered Valentine's Day, much less celebrated it. She was a real tomboy, although Johnny had to admit her feminine side was starting to more after marriage. Just little changes, like putting a little bit of lipstick when they went out, or wearing jewelry occasionally, but Johnny thought those little actions were incredibly attractive coming from Meryl. The biggest change, however, was that she was showing her real feelings and emotions as they happened, no longer trying to suppress them to put on a tough facade. If she was happy, the smile she showed was enough to put Johnny in a good mood for the rest of the day. If she was upset, he could see it in her eyes and her face, and she would let him comfort her and cheer her up, instead of pushing him away and brooding over it alone.

One of his favorite expressions he had discovered about Meryl though, was that she would pout when she lost an argument with him, or when she was trying to get her way in something. He would stick her lower lip out just a little and puff her cheeks out a bit, purposely looking away from him, like a child who was denied her candy. The pouting usually never lasted long though, for the occasion was rare that Johnny didn't give in to the look, something Meryl knew and sometimes used when she wanted the upper hand. Still, despite all of her pouting this time around, he didn't reveal anything about his plans, and instead gave her a kiss on the nose and asked her to be patient.

Johnny pulled up into their driveway and gently took the dozen roses he had just picked up that afternoon from the passenger's seat. Roses in one hand, he unlocked the door and let himself into the house, finding a vase and carefully arranging them just right. Grabbing the apron, he tied it around his waist and started pulling ingredients from the refrigerator. Meryl's cooking skills were limited to instant foods and boiling water for tea, so most of the time Johnny handled meal preparation, although she did volunteer to do the dishes since he did the cooking. It was just like Meryl to make sure she did her share of the work, just like she did as commander of Rat Patrol 01. Admittedly, Johnny did get a fair share of disapproving glares and punches, but Meryl always did appreciate his technical skills on the field, and never asked anything that she herself was not willing to do.

Just as Johnny was about to turn on the stove, the phone rang. Glancing over at the caller ID, he saw Meryl's cell phone listed. He could guess why she had called home, and greeted her as he picked the phone off of the receiver. Meryl had asked if there was anything they needed at home, but Johnny was two steps ahead of her already, and grinned as he heard her trying to hide her flustered response at his perceptiveness.

"I'll be waiting," he said as he hung up. With a satisfied smile on his face, Johnny focused his attention back to the kitchen, determined to finish before Meryl made it home.

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The sound of Meryl pulling into the driveway alerted Johnny just as he finished putting the final touches on the table. Quickly adjusting the box of dark chocolates he had secretly ordered from San Francisco, he did a final look before going to answer to door.

"Welcome home."

Making his way to the door, he pulled it open and greeted Meryl with a kiss on the cheek just as she was about to open it. Instead of being surprised like he initially thought, she pulled him in for a sensual kiss, her breath in his ear as she asked, "So, what's this little surprise you have for me?"

Johnny felt his breath catch in his throat at his wife's sudden actions, but forced himself not to give into the kiss too much. He felt Meryl's arms tightening around his neck, and for a second, he was tempted to forget about dinner and just carry her back to their bedroom. Pulling back, he eased Meryl's bag off her shoulder and guided them both into the house.

After instructing her to close her eyes, Johnny took her hands and led her right in front of the dining room, where the roses bloomed beautifully in the middle, and the food was steaming and cooked to perfection, or at least he thought so. She followed behind him, her steps even and calm, completely trusting in his guidance. It was different than back when she was on the battlefield, always alert and mindful of her own surroundings, never letting her guard down. It wasn't to say she never trusted her own comrades on the field, including him, but he could feel that right now, the way her hands were gently gripping his, that she trusted him in a way that was different than soldiers did on the front lines. She relied on him, willingly closing her eyes and making herself vulnerable to him, because she trusted in him to not lead her astray.

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, since leading her through the living room to the dining room was hardly comparable to dodging bullets on the battlefield, but the concept was the same. Before their marriage, Meryl hardly opened herself up to anyone, not even the people closest to her. She kept people at an arm's length, preferring to hide her real feelings behind a mask, leaving only the tough, fearless leader that was seen by everyone else. Granted, SOP had a large effect on her emotional control, as Johnny was sure she would have never asked _him_ to marry _her_ had the nano machines been there controlling her actions and emotions. Even in the middle of a fierce firefight, he could see the spunk and independent streak in her eyes that wasn't there before as she dictated the her requests for the wedding ceremony while dodging bullets and shooting the enemy with deadly aim.

Stopping right in front of the table, he gently let go of her hands and waited for her reaction.

"Mm, Johnny, that smells wonderful. Did you make something?" The way she furrowed her brows just a tiny bit as she tried to place the smell was absolutely adorable to Johnny, although to an outsider, adorable would be one of the last words they would use to describe his wife. She was tougher than even most guys he knew, but with him, she would let her softer, gentler side show, and knowing that he was one of the privileged few who saw that side of her, Johnny felt extremely lucky.

"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Johnny stepped back and enjoyed the scene as his wife let out a little surprised gasp at the table. A glint of recognition passed through her eyes before she turned back towards him.

"Oh! You mean, today is-?"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Meryl. I guess your father wasn't kidding when he said you never remembered this day, much less celebrate it."

"You actually asked my dad about this before planning it all out?"

Johnny laughed and shook his head. The conversation with the Colonel had actually been by pure chance, and sparked the idea to surprise her.

"So, what'd you think? Like it?"

Meryl was silent for a moment, before turning around, her eyes turned toward the floor.

"Oh, Johnny, you didn't need to go through all this trouble."

Johnny wasn't quite sure what to make of her response. With the way she was looking down, and what she said, he felt his elated mood slowly start to evaporate. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, she looked up, and, catching his crestfallen expression, quickly amended her previous statement.

"I love it. The flowers, the food, everything. And I love you for doing this for me."

Johnny barely had time to register Meryl's words before he was pulled into a passionate kiss. Her fingers brushed through his hair and her body meshed together so perfectly with his. He slowly moved his arms around her waist, titling his head slightly to give her better access. Meryl was only a little bit shorter than he was, but even so, she had to tilt her chin up a little in order to kiss him at the right angle. This close to her, he could feel the warmth emanating from her body, something that he never thought in a million years he would get to experience. Whether he was just naive or a hopeless romantic, he didn't know. But he knew that there was just something about her that kept him always wanting being at her side, despite their less-than-friendly first encounter. Back then, he would have been happy if she just had a simple conversation with him, never mind an intimate relationship. Over and over again, he silently thanked whatever greater being or force that was out there that gave him this chance to be married to the most amazing woman on the face of the earth. To be the one she loved, trusted, laughed with, cried with, held, and just exist side by side with, Johnny wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Slowly pulling apart, Johnny leaned his forehead against hers so that their noses were just barely touching. Meryl's lips were a little swollen and slightly parted as they both caught their breaths after a prolonged absence of oxygen.

"If you like it, that's all that matters to me," Johnny whispered softly, using his fingers to trace along her cheek softly. Meryl didn't reply, but he could see from her eyes that she was both immensely happy and touched at the same time.

'Well, Johnny, looks like you managed to pull it off.'

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"Careful! I think you got some on your nose!" Meryl laughed as Johnny tried to wipe the whip cream off with a napkin. They had been feeding each other their own desserts with forks across the table, which had been relatively successful, save for the occasional slip-up. Johnny carefully picked up the last piece of the chocolate torte with his fork and held it out to Meryl, who gracefully ate the whole piece in one bite. She loved chocolate torte, which she had once confessed to him when they went out to a fancy French restaurant for dinner. As she chewed, she seemed to be pondering some sort of question, and finally blurted out, "So _that's_ why you were spending all that time in the florist shop last Saturday!" Meryl seemed to be finally realizing all of the little preparations Johnny had been making in the last few days.

"Yup. I know it was awkward and weird, but I couldn't think of a better way."

The florist had started giving him strange looks after he had passed by the display of gardenias for the fifth time, and he had a feeling Meryl would've have forcibly made him leave had he stayed any longer than he did. But he wanted to make sure the flowers were something she wold love, and yet in tune with the holiday as well. Of course, in the end the red roses wound up being the best choice anyway, but Johnny felt that for Meryl, he would rather spend more time and get it right rather than guess and make a mistake. Luckily, she was pretty oblivious as to his true intentions for wanting to buy flowers. She had thought he had a sudden need to decorate the house with fresh flowers.

Grinning, he gathered up their empty plates and placed them into the sink. Although Meryl usually did the dishes, today was her day to indulge, and he had absolutely no qualms about doing them for her. Meryl was sitting on the counter next to the sink, watching him and unconsciously swinging her legs slightly off the edge in an incredibly endearing manner.

"So, this is your first Valentine's Day experience, eh? Was it good enough to convince you to celebrate it again next year?"

"Mm, it was definitely a romantic gesture." She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Thank you," the warm air from her mouth brushed against his lips. Johnny was thoroughly happy that Meryl had enjoyed it; all of the time spent had been worth it just to see her reactions.

"Hmm, you're definitely welcome. Some you want to know what people do on the night of Valentine's Day?" He smirked, changing his mindset for what was to come later that night. Meryl apparently had the same idea, for she returned his smirk with a look of her own and pulled on his shirt collar for another kiss. Johnny wrapped his arms around her torso and under her legs, carrying her bridal-style back towards their bedroom. Meryl may not have had many reasons to even think about Valentine's Day before today, but Johnny was going to make sure she wasn't going to forget this one.


End file.
